


linger

by fencesit



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Assassination Attempt(s), M/M, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:35:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24013714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fencesit/pseuds/fencesit
Summary: After the Southern Water Tribe fleet sails away, it's just Zuko and Aang. And the entire Fire Nation, can't forget them.
Relationships: Aang/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 384
Collections: Id Pro Quo 2020





	linger

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kuchi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuchi/gifts).



The morning after they see Toph, Suki, and Uncle off on the ship that will take them to the Earth Kingdom, Katara and Sokka leave for the South with Chief Hakoda. "I'll miss you," Aang tells them, with warmth that Zuko feels but knows he wouldn't be able to verbally match. 

Zuko is Fire Lord now, after all. Even if he _could_ bring that much positive emotion into his face and voice, no one would respect him for doing so. He'd gotten around it with Uncle by saying their goodbyes privately, but he hadn't know how to do that with Toph or Sokka or Katara. They're friends — despite the fact that Zuko now sits on the throne of the Fire Nation — but Zuko still struggles with what that actually means. Interpersonal rules are even more complex than court politics. 

It might have been weird to dismiss the servants at breakfast just to say goodbye. Too invested, maybe even presumptuous. He's told them that they're all welcome guests in the Imperial Palace at any time, and surely that's enough? 

If it's not enough then it's too late, anyway. Zuko isn't here to say goodbye; Zuko is here to do official Fire Nation things, like look at Chief Hakoda (who he's pretty sure hates him) and say, "I look forward to working with you at the summit." 

"I look forward to reviewing our progress and accomplishments." Chief Hakoda inclines his head, which is more acknowledgement than Zuko was expecting. 

Zuko can hear what he means — _You'd better live up to your promises._ — but it doesn't phase him. He knows he has a lot to prove and a lot to make up for. 

Behind Zuko, the squad of royal firebenders that Zuko is bound by tradition to take with him on public outings shift in an ambiguous manner that makes their armor squeak and groan. It's hard to say if they're agitated by Chief Hakoda's remark and lack of formality or if they were just trying to prepare themselves for the carnage that would have followed anyone trying to leave Azula with nothing but a shallow nod. 

But it doesn't matter anyway. 

Chief Hakoda doesn't owe him any respect at all. 

* * *

Going down to the docks and saying goodbye has taken the entire morning. When they return to the palace, Aang drags his feet for a little while, visibly debates with himself, and then says, "I know I'm _supposed_ to leave right away, but...maybe we could have lunch first?" 

Zuko had originally scheduled lunch to consist of mostly wallowing in the disappointing experience of eating alone after spending so much time with almost more good company than he could stand, so lunch with Aang sounds great. They split up — Aang goes to make sure Appa is being fed, and Zuko changes into less formal clothes with the help of servants he wants to dismiss but can't. Formal Fire Nation garb is _too complicated_. 

If Zuko's claim on the throne ever solidifies enough to risk upsetting people over frivolous matters, Zuko is going to turn court fashion on its head. Maybe they'll all dress like Earth Kingdom peasants. 

He and Aang arrive to the Fire Lord's dining room at nearly the same time. Zuko had sent a servant to tell the kitchen to make vegetarian dishes across the board for lunch, and they're already laid out and steaming gently. 

Aang looks curiously at him over the selection of dishes, but Zuko doesn't know how to explain. Sokka is gone and Zuko doesn't mind matching Aang's diet? But that's not the whole truth of it, and it's also not like Aang has ever made him feel bad for eating meat, or that it would be a hardship to simply have the palace kitchens make a mix of both... 

Zuko likes the idea of eating the same things as Aang, so that they're sharing a meal instead of simply eating in the same place. But that seems too hard to explain, so he doesn't say anything about it. 

"I'm gonna come back early," Aang promises him over their lunch. "For that Fireflake Festival, that's why you argued it back a week, right? I'm not missing it. I'll see if everyone else can come too!" He pauses, and then adds a little slyly, like they're sharing a joke, "You didn't want to invite Hakoda, right? I get it. But Katara and Sokka can probably come early if I pick them up!" He beams like he's solved a problem. 

Zuko does his best not to let his incredulous stare go on long enough for Aang to notice. 

"It's not called the Fireflake Festival," Zuko says slowly. That seems like the easiest place to start. He hopes Aang hasn't called it that in front of anyone else, but he probably has. 

"Everyone eats fireflakes at it even more than all your other festivals, so close enough," Aang says brightly. "I'm sure I'll learn what it's really called when we go together!" 

As far as Zuko's aware, Fire Lords don't _go_ to _festivals_ , although they sometimes preside over the formal part of religious celebrations. On the other hand, if Fire Lords _did_ go to festivals, maybe the throne would seem more relatable to the rest of the nation, and maybe people would stop expecting Zuko to haul off and execute someone for every fraying thread and dropped teacup. 

Also, Zuko can imagine going to the festival with Aang vividly and it really wouldn't be terrible. It might even be fun, if Zuko could manage to ditch the royal firebender squad by then and dress down for the occasion and get Aang to wear a hat... It would be nice, the way Aang's face would be lit by the lamplight. And the inevitable fallout of Aang eating the extra strength special occasion fireflakes would be funny. They'd bump shoulders in the crowd, pressed tight, and maybe they'd hook their arms together so they don't get pulled apart. Aang is a little taller than him, but it would still work, and it would be — if Zuko lets himself actually imagine it, the warmth of Aang's arm against his and the knowledge that they won't be separated — it would really be — 

Zuko doesn't get to complete his thought because he has to fling himself across the room, tucking and rolling, to avoid the arrow that thunks into the table moments after he's moved. It had come a hair's breadth from pinning him to the table through the throat because he'd been distracted, but there's no time to blame himself over it because there's definitely more than one archer: Another arrow thunks into the floor between the table and the wall Zuko's flung himself towards, and the angle of the arrow says it also came from the courtyard outside buy from a different rooftop. 

Also, the _make_ of the arrows say they came from the palace fletcher, which is really bad news, because it means whoever's shooting them is either part of the palace guard or has had time to kill some guards and take their arrows. 

Either way, this probably isn't a spontaneous attempt and assassination via archers presents a particular sort of problem for Zuko. As a firebender, Zuko is never technically unarmed, but...well, _Azula_ could probably release fire controlled and hot enough to simply incinerate the arrows before they reach her, but Zuko's not at all confident in that plan. If he had his dao then that might be a place to start, but while it hadn't ever been proper for Zuko to learn swordwork, and as Fire Lord it's definitely not good look to tout swords around; therefore he's been leaving the dao in his rooms. 

Essentially, Zuko is defenseless. Whoever arranged the barrage of arrows had probably been counting on that. 

What they probably _hadn't_ been counting on: Aang has also tucked and rolled to press himself to the wall beneath the windows. Aang, who was supposed to be long gone by now. Of course the first assassination attempt would wait until Zuko was supposedly alone. It's a surprise it even waited long enough for Zuko to get changed around for lunch. 

"I can stop them, but I might break some stuff," Aang says. Aang doesn't really do _finesse_ in combat situations. He looks ready to spring to his feet immediately, maybe partially because the extra inches he has on Zuko and his broad shoulders mean that it's especially hard for him to cram himself under the scant cover of the wall below this dining room's large windows. 

"You need to work on your control," Zuko hisses, because a master of any element should be able to promise minimal damage and someone who's supposedly mastered earth bending should be more patient. It makes Aang wilts, though, so Zuko pulls his annoyance back. It's just masking anxiety, anyway. "I never liked this wing of the palace anyway," he says. With someone else he might add, _Try not to kill anyone_ , but with Aang he knows that's not a problem. 

"Don't worry," Aang says,"I definitely won't destroy the _whole_ wing." 

* * *

Later, while other people are handling the cleanup under Zuko's orders, Aang flings himself down onto the couch in Zuko's favorite sitting room. It's across the palace from the Fire Lord's dining room, which is definitely a point in its favor at the moment. 

"I just don't get it!" Aang exclaims, after being completely silent the entire walk over. He's starting to edge into angry instead of just frustrated. "No offense, but your sister is kinda crazy. She was only Fire Lord for five minutes and it went terribly. No one should want that! Katara would just have to come back and kick her ass again and then you'd be back to being in charge!" 

Unless I'm dead, Zuko thinks but doesn't say. Aang's probably not going to want to think about him being dead. He tries to explain: "It's not about wanting Azula to be the Fire Lord again. It's about not wanting _me_." 

It's not unexpected, but it still exhausts Zuko. Just like everyone else, Zuko would much prefer that it were Uncle leading the nation, or that Lu Ten had never died and everything and been averted that way, but those options aren't on the table. It has to be him. Unless someone manages to kill him. But then at least cleaning up the resulting mess won't be his problem. 

"I don't like it," Aang grumbles. He crosses his arms over his chest, as if the sheer fact that he's announced such a thing means the universe will immediately right its course. 

"I know," Zuko says, and finally sits down next to Aang on the couch. He's careful not to sit too close, and then immediately ruins that careful distance by putting his hand on Aang's shoulder. He doesn't want Aang to worry. "By the time you get back it'll be dealt with." 

Aang jolts under his hand. "What?" he exclaims, eyes wide. 

"...'dealt with' in a just, lawful sense," Zuko tacks on, wincing as he withdraws his hand. 

"Not that," Aang says dismissively. His hands dart out and catch Zuko's hand. "I'm not leaving. Not anymore. Those guys were supposed to be your guards! Who knows who it'll be next! I'm staying." 

Aang's eyes are so sincere and so worried that Zuko has to stop making eye contact, but looking down at their hands isn't much better: Aang's hands are cool and dry against Zuko's. They hold his hand lightly, almost tenderly, like Zuko is someone to be gentle with. One of his thumbs sweeps over Zuko's knuckles. 

"Oh," Zuko says dumbly, trying to formulate a thought that's not about Aang's hands, or how close they're actually sitting now, or how this would look if someone walked in. 

Zuko is Fire Lord now. And he's recently survived an assassination attempt. No one is going to walk in on them. 

"I know there's a bunch of politics reasons for me to not stay, but I really don't care," Aang goes on. "It's not fair for you to be alone _and_ you could get hurt. So I'll just stick around. Okay?" 

Zuko swallows. "Okay," he says. 

"Okay," Aang says brightly, and launches himself across the couch at Zuko. 

It's a sudden enough movement to make Zuko's heart jump to his throat, but it's definitely not an attack — Aang _wouldn't_ attack him — so he manages to hold still long enough for Aang to end up half in his lap, arms wrapped around Zuko. 

It's a hug. Right. Hugs. Zuko can do hugs. He wraps his arms back around Aang and ignores the anxious flip-flop his stomach does because hugs shouldn't make him nervous; that's stupid. 

"You're not allowed to get assassinated," Aang mumbles into his shoulder. His arms are around Zuko's neck. One of his hands is cupping the back of Zuko's head, tangled in the scruffy still-too-short hair at the nape of Zuko's neck. 

Zuko lets out a careful breath. He runs a hand over Aang's back and marvels at how it makes Aang sink into him, boneless. "I'm really good at not getting assassinated," he offers. _This_ attempt hadn't even involved any explosives. 

"Good." Aang squeezes him. "Good." 

They stay like that for awhile longer. Soon there will be would-be assassins to question and guard rosters to thin, but for now Zuko gets to pretend there's nothing more pressing than this. 


End file.
